Prof. Scott B. NoegelChair, Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and CivilizationUniversity of Washington

"The Significance of the Seventh Plague."

First Published in:Biblica 76/4 (1995),532-539.

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t?b I;(~- -(6!t{ (\q~)) 53~..

Thc Sigllific:lllcc of Ihc Sc\'cllih Plagllc

Hegardillg hihlical lists that contain len ilellls G. A. Hendshurg wriles: .. inthe Bible wh~re roslers of ten occur, special prominence is givcn to theclltries listed in the seventh and lenth positions" (I). Remlshurg's shortnol~ deal! primarily with Genesis 15and Ihe appearance of the Amorites inseventhpositionin a list of nations.He alsodrewallentionto the lindingsof other scholars concerning the use of the positions seven and ten inGenesis 5 (specilically with respect to Enoch and Noah) and Ruth 4,18-22(with regard to Boaz and David)r). .

While Ihese observations arc undoubtedly correct, thcir foci have hecnprimarily on lists of nations and genealogical roslers. However, as will bedemonstrated below, the device also occurs in narrative, in particular in Ihemosl famous of all series of tens: Ihe plagues of Egypt.

Studiesand commentarieshavc deal! with the plagucs of Exodus fHlIIIa wide variely of angles and are so numerous so as not 10 requirerecapitulation here. Sufficeit to say that the importance of the tenth plague,the death of Egypt's first born, long has been understood as the mostd~vastating of the plagues. It is with the tenth plague, specilicallywith thed~ath of Pharaoh's son, that the story reaches its climax. Pharaoh finallyconcedes and releases the people Israel.

While the sense of climax that accompanies the tenth plague escapesfew readers, the importance of the seventh plague has gone unnoticed.Rather, the seventh plague typically is viewed simply as part of onedramatic build-up incorporating plagu~s one through niner). It is herewhere an awareness of the convention noted above comes into play. Inwhat follows, I will present the evidence in support of the notion that theseventh plague, like the tenth, was intended to stand out in the narrative,that is, above the other eight.

As observed already by Rashbam and Abrabanel, and more recentlyby U. Cassulo, M. Greenberg, and N. Sarna, the account of the plaguesoccurs in a lrip:mite literary structure (4). According 10 Sarna: "The

C') "Notes on Gencsis XV". VT42 (1992) 269.(2) Ihid.. 271, n.20, 292. n. 21.r) for inslance 8. S. CIIILDS, Till' R(I(lk (If E.wd,u: A C,ilil'al TI'f(l/(lgical

C(lmmfllla,.I' (Philadelphia 1974) 160; N. t.1. SARNA,Expl(l,ill): EwJ,u: Tlrt' J/r,ila.!:/!nf Bihlicull.fwt!l (New York 1986) 77: 1. 8. COFFMAN,Cnll/II/i'lI/a')' nn E.mJ,u: TIltSt'('(l1/(1R(lok of Mn,~t'S (Ahilene, TX 19R5) 119.To my knowledge. Ihe only ~eholar10 r«o~ni7e the double climax wa~ M. GRfF.NIIF.RG,U/ldr,.flat,dilll1 F..tn,/,1.t (NewYork 1%'11 112. II. I, Iholl!!h he did 1101offer an explan:llioll Ihereof :llId he did 11011>IIlsueIhe mailer.

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The Sigllilkallce (If the Sevellih Pia gill' 53.'

plagues :tre arrallged ill Ihe form of Ihree scries of calami lies comprisingthree arniclions in each series" (Exnd".r, 77). The first of each series beginswilh a time indication of warning (Exod 7,15; 8,16; 9.13), which happens tohe in the morning, and wilh :tn instruction formula' stalion yourself'employing the root I/,rh. As Grcenberg notes (5), the beginning of Ihe Ihirdseries. i.e.. (he scvcllth plaguc, t'lIIlIaillS ;111imporl;1II1 varialioll Oil Iheli>nllula. The firsl Iwo series (firsl ;lIId fourth plagues) slarl: "Go 10'Pharaoh in the morning. Lo, he goes out 10 Ihe waler, and slalld before him10 confrollt him on Ihe b;lIIk of Ihe Nile" (Exod 7,15; l'Omparc II,I6). Thescvcnlh plague, howevcr. omils .. Lo, he goes oul 10 Ihe waler" allli .. onIhe hank of the Nile" (h). The aulhor deviates from Ihe expecled order tosuspend Ihe reader's anticipation of the mcntion of waler. II appears, ofcourse, a few lines laler in the form of hail (').

In addition 10 cues in Ihe literary slruclure of Ihe plague accounl, theimporlance of the seventh plague may he seen in thaI it is given the mostverses of any plague except for the lenth (R). Cassulo accounts for Ihis bysaying Ihal since the sevenlh plaguc

is severer and more decisive than the earlier ones, (he aecounl of theplagues Ihal it comprises is longer and fuller than Ihal of Ihe preced-ing plagues (").

(') lJ. ('ASSII'I). A ('/II/IIIIt'/IllIn' "" 11/1'/I"ok "f r:.\'/I///I.~(Jerusalem1%7192-93:Greenberg. Hmtlll.t. 171: SARNA; !tn/dIU, 7(,-77. See also Colhmlll, f:w,lrl.t, 57: C.JOIINSor., Wydilli' Ilib/r Cnll/lI/f/lIIl')': Old 7'r.~/'ltIlrll/ (Chicago 1962) 57: F. II.MI'HR, £.\Odll.l: ('lrllpl..,.~ I-X.\' (Edinhurgh 1952) 117. 80lh S.ft DRIVF.R,711(.Oo"kIIf Ewdll.f (Camhridge 1911) 72-76: ;lIId J.P. II VAn, Nfl!' C«,IIIII')' Whit'('/IIIIIIIt'l/la,)': E.wtl,1.{ (Grand Rapids, MI. 1971) 117, allrilmled Ihe ~IrucluruldilTerences to Ihe hand~ of Ihe assumed J, E, and " source~. D. M('CARrIIY,.. Moses' Dealings wilh Pharaoh: Ex 7,H.10,27 ", C/IQ 27 (1965) 336-347 believedIhal Ihe narralive i~ organized inlo Iwo symmelrical groups of live. Some of thesescholars. e.g., C'assulu, noled a secondary lilerary structure which operalessimull:lneously, namcly, Ihe pairing of the plagues inlo hlood/frogs (holh connecledwith Ihe Nilel, lice/nics(bolh insectsI, ele.

(') M. GRF.I:NIII:RG,"The ThemalieUllilyofExoduslll-XI...FtlltrIIrWo.ldC""xri'.!.! 0{ '/1'\1';,./,Sllltlin vol, I (Jerusalem 1967) 151-154:~ee al~o IIIF.M.,r:tn<IIt.~,IRR:and" The Retlaclinn nf Ihe (,IugueNarrative in Exodu~", Nr(tr l:iul«"" SlIltli«,.~ill 11"'/11' "r Williall/ fi/XIl'f/l Alh,iXlr1 (cd. II. GOWIKI:; lIaltimore 11J71,249.Greenberg. hnwever, did nnl commenl on Ihe signilieanceof Ihe variation.

(', Two olher vurialions on Ihe forllluiu may be noled in passing. In 7,15 iheniph'al formlli,~,whlii "~Iund" is used. In R,I6 we gel the hilhp3'cl1Ii1)'1I,~,~ih"placeyourself". III 7,IS Ihe imperalive of {';k "go" uppear~, hul in R.16 Ihe hiph'ilI/ll.ikt't" "rise up carly" i~ used. II may also be urgue" Ihal the eXI1L'ClfdwOller tinesunl occur unlil 9,33, whcn rain lirst is menlioned as part of Ihe slorm. See already G.RAWUNSON.I'/lipil C"II/II/('1I/a,.I':F:x(ldll.~vol. I (Grand Rapids, MI. 1950) 220.

el InN EZRA seems to have queslioned the purpose of Ihi~ omission in hisenmOlelltto Exod 9.13: "1\ is nol OIenlioned in Ihis place Ihal he (pharaohl went oulhI Ihe wOller;perhaps Ihere is anolher reason for Ihis ".

(') The seventh is given n ver~es (bod 9,D-351 and Ihe lenlh. 43 IEsn"11.1 12.H), This also wus noled hy CIIII.I>S.!:.tlld,u, 15R31111M. Nnm. r:.tt,d,l.f:A(""'>11"('11/11')' (I'hil;ulclphia 191>2' 811. Greenberg nnled nnly the lenglh of Ihe IhirdIriplel,nollhe pluguepericopcalone;seeSARNA.Html,..., 176.

('I HftNIII.., 115. This formerly Im~ he:cn expblillcd ulem!! Iht. lines nf ('"OHMAN./::1'11'/11,1.112:"I'ml or Ihcn'asoll (1i.1'ils Imglh) ... lit'Sill thc 1i1l'1"I' (;.~I's lakilll!I'uillsIn cXl,lain I.. I'lmmoh why <iod h:ulllot :llrc;lIly lukcn him ..II' Ihc lill'\: ..I' the cmlh ".

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5J4, Scolt II. Noegcl

Similarly. Ihe versions of the plagues given in Ps 6R.42-51 and Ps 105.27..16. ,llso devote more verses to the plague of hail than to any other. In addition

to heing given Ihe most space, this scene also conlains Ihe longesluninterrupled divine monologue in the pl,lgue account: a lotal of seven 1')verses (Ewd 9,13-19)1°.

!'tulher, il is with the seventh plague Ihal we lirsl arc lold IhalPh;lraoh repents (") of his decds: "I have sinned this lime. Yahweh isrighteous (12), and I and my people arc wicked" (9,27), and that hepromises 10 let the Israelites go (II). As J. /layes allll J. M. Miller note, inother ancient Near Eastern accounls of plagues it is usually "the godsralher limn Ihe hUIIH1IIswho repenl and reform after a plague" (I"). lIere,Ihe god.king I'haraoh, who woulel have appeareel 10 the Egyplian masses aslespousihle (or Ihe plagues, lepenls(I~). Thus I'haraoh's n:pentance marks aturniug poinl in the story (!O) by coming at a lime when Ihe reaeler may hee~pcl.ting a cessation or complelion of events, i.e., in the numher sevenslot (n).

MOIeovn, as A. lIeriin ohserves(IH), after Moses inlerceeles to slop Iheplague al I'haraoh's request, Pharaoh sees Ihe temporary cessalion ofevenls in reverse oreler. Immediately aner the narrator stales Ihat "Ihethunder allli Imil l'eased. and rain did not pour down un Ihe land" (9,))),Pharauh observes that "Ihe rain and Ihe hail and the Ihunder had ceased"

ami so "he continued sinning" (9,)4)(IQ). Elsewhere, eilher Ihe phenomenaarc reporled to Pharaoh in Ihe urder in which Ihey occur, or Pharauh'sohservations arc not recorded, e.g. R,27; 9,7; 10,19; 12,29.

''O) Comp.ue: plague one - 5 (7,14-18); plague Iwo . 4 (7,26-2'1); pl:.guethree - I (8,12); plague four.- 4 (8,16-19); plague live- 4 (9,1.4); plague si~2 19,8-9); plague eighl - I (10,12); plague nine -. I (10,21); plague ten.. 2( 11,1-2).

(II) For Ihe view Ihat Pharaoh is not penitenl see A. II. McNr:ILr:, rhl' n/J/Jk ofF:xmlU,t(Lundon 1908) 56; Driver, l:~r",111.I75. That he docs appear penilent see M."'HII.r:, If ("'/11/111'1/11")' III/ 1111'11,,1)' /liM'. vol. I; GI'I/el;,I.J"I> (McLean, Virginia19811) 1J4.

(Il) Moreover, as 11m E7.ra nOled, the divine name appears in Ihe mou.h orPharaoh only here; cf. Exnd 9,28.

("') lie docs so ag:lin in 111,17.(141J. IIAVfS and J. M. Mn.l.ER. 1.1Tl/,,1i11'111/11JllrllIl'/IIl IliJI"ry (l'hiladclphia

1977)21111.

(IS) IIAVI'S and MllI.fR (Ibid.. 200), in my opinion, 'olally missed Ihe poinlwhen Ihey :.dded: "This is eertilinly nol Ihe case wilh Ihe plal1ues of E~odus 7-11".They cillestioned why, conlrary 10 olher :lncicnt Ncar Eilslern pl:'gue :Iccounls,Yahweh dnes nol repent. It is not the Uod Yahweh who is expecled 10 repent here.hilI Ihe god-king Pharaoh.

('O) Indeed, as Ihn Ezra righlly nOled, the reader is to connect Ihe use of pa'(IIII"lime" in Exod 9,35 with its use earlier in E~od 9.14 where we read: "This lime Iwill send :.11my plagues upon your heart... ".

(11) Similar 10 Ihe seven days of creation (Gen 1,1-2,31.(I', A. IIERUN. POI'I;c.t al/ll Intl'rprnal;on of B;I>lical Norrrl/;vr (Sheffield

1983) 73.(I') RERUN (lh;J., 73), sees this as "a hinl Ihal Pharaoh has not yet 11°1Ihings

slr'aighl: he does not see Ihings .he same way as Moses alltl Ihe narralor do ". AlsoW. J. MAR'IIN, "'Oischronologi7ed' Narrative in Ihe Old Teslilmellt ", CIIIIR""u,.,,/111111'/lllllll' 19f>,~(SVT 17; lciden 19ft9) 179-186.

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The Signilicance or the Seven!h Plagne 5.15

In ,Illdilion 10 literary markers, Ihere arc clues in the language whichbespeak the hcighlened relevance of the seventh plague. Before Ihe arrivalor Ihe hail and thunderstorms Moses repeats Yahweh's threat: "For I willal this lime send all my plagues upon your heart and upon your servants,and upon your people, Ihal you may know Ihat Ihere is none like me in "IIIhe earlh" (E:wd 9,14). According 10 Berlin the word" all" is a quantifieroften used" to highlighl an imporlant evenl or Iheme in Ihe narra.ive" (2").As only four plagues remain (including Ihe seventh), Ihe word" all" canserve no olher purpose (21). Cassulo (I:.:mr/II.f.119) also notes a hyperbolicuse of Ihe word" all" in 9,25, where we arc told thai Ihe hail devastated"('I'('r)'lfrill!:Ihal was in Ihe field, I'I'('r.I-herb or the lield, and (','('ry tree Ihatwas in the licld ". Moreover, as T. Frctheim remarks:

In terms or rheloric, rCJlelilion is noleworlhy, for e~ample, .he wordkM, "all", is pervasive, used over fifty times; it may provide an inler-prelive clue 10 Ihe narrl;ve. While in every plague, .here is an e~J!lo.sfon in its use... as une moves into Ihe scvenlh plague. This is ane~lmvagancc of language, perhaps even a t:lilure of language. in aneffort 10 speak of Ihe increasing inlensily in thc 'inal plagues... (22).

The same verse l'onlains a signilicant varialion on Yahweh's threats.Inslead of shlling, as is done for all previous plagues, .. Yahweh will sendupon )'/11/(i.e., upon the Pharaoh ;lOd upon Egypt)" the particular plague,Yahweh thunders, " I will.., send all my plagues upon )""" "('(/rl". Aftereach of the previous plagues, we are told that the Pharaoh" hardened hishearl" (Exod 7,22; 8,15; 9,12.35)(2J).That Yahweh now aims the p'agueal Pharaoh's heart signals lhe imporlance and direclness of the attack e4),This conneclion is cemented further by the nexus between Pharaoh'shardened (kiibed) hearl and the hail which was" heavy" (kiibM) (Exod7.14; 8,11.28; 9.7.18.24.34; 10,1)(2'). 'n addition, unlike the hardening ofPharaoh's hearl after other plagues. with the seventh. Yahweh hardensnol only Ihe heart of Pharaoh. bul also the hearts of his servanls('.J,34)(2~).

fO) 1'0,,'io, 105. See also COFFMAN, f;,mrlll,t, 92. 112.

(I') DRIVJ;R (I:'xlll/fl.t. 72) struggled wilh Ihe "inconsistent" expres.~ion.suggesting Ihe need ror cmendalion. II is interesting to nole thai Rashi saw thcphnlse "all my plagues" as harkening to Ihe mosl climaclic or Ihe plagues, thelenlh: "We learn from here IllIIt Ihe plague or Ihe firslborn is halaneed (or ellualimporlance) againsl all olher plagues (Iogether) ".

IU) T. E. FRlmn:IM, "The /'Iagues as Ecological Signs of lIistorical Oisaster ",JOL II(J (1991) 386.

fJ) The formula also appears after Ihe following four plagues: 10.20.27; 14,4.8.for the meaning of a "hardened heart" and ils rrequenl use in Ihe plagues accounlsee So\RNA,F:xorluJ,64; R. WILSON,"The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart", CBQ 41(1979) 18-3(.; and II. RXISXNF.N,71,1'!J('Q of /Jivil/C'lIarrlC'nil/R(lIclsinki 19721.

(") This also W:IS noticed hy COfFMAN. E.wrlll.f. 112 and hy /'OOI.F., ACOIII/I/I'I/I"r)',133. Note the remark or McNuu:, E.t/JJII.t. 54. thai" the te~1 may hecorrupt" .

f') As noted hy CASslrro, E.ml/".t, 122.

(2°) Ihn E7.ra noled Ihe Silme, ef. E~bd 9,311. II is also interesting to note IhalColssutoIE.mrlll.t.115) look this line as a referellee10 the tenth plague.

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5.16 Scull /I. Noegcl

Furlherlnore, afler each of Ihe previous plagues we arc told Ihatdespite Ihe miral'u/ous efforts of Moses, God hardcncd Pharaoh's hcarl.Afler six such hardenings on the part of God the reader ljuite naturally isforced 10 ask why. It is only here, immedialely "cfore Ihc sevcnlh, where ariexplanatiou is given: "Neverlheless, I. have spared you for this purpose: inorder 10 show you My power, and in order tlml My Name may resoundthroughout Ihe world" (Exod 9,16) (2').

In 9,14 the pericope also contains a significant variation on therepealed admonition, "thai you may know thai there is none like Yahwehour God ". In Greenberg's words it

is not out of placc in Ihc firsl triplct, and yct it is not as thematicallysignilicanl as Ihe analogous d,lUse in 9: 14. For Ihe laller occurs inGod's message at Ihc head of a triplet. and is reiterated four times inthe following narrative. This is not the case of the clause of 8:6, nor,again. of that of 9:29 (Exodus, 175, n. I).

'1he placemenl of the warning immediately "efore Ihe seventh plague ismC,lIIt 10 heighten Ihe expeclalion of relief, a relief helilling the numberseven slol. The seventh plaguc also stands oul hy ils peculiarly descriptivelange of devaslation. Greenhcrg remarks:

...Ihe first triplet establishes God as a power beyond and olhcr thanIhe magic of Egypt, Ihe second shows his presence in the landIhrough a discriminating application of punishment, and Ihe third(!i\'esscope to his power, more Ihan anything Ihat history h:ls to tell(/Md.. 175). .

As (i. /lorl nolese"), unlike the olhers which arc said 10have struck eilher"upon all of Egypt" or "not upon the land of Goshen ", the sevenlh isgiven a three-fold description of its range: i.e., "upon all of Egypt", "notupon (he land of Goshen ". and upon those in Egypt who did not regardthe word of Yahweh (9,20-21.22.26).

Morcover, as (he narrator tells LISin 9,31. the seventh plague had mostdevastating repercussions: "the nax and the barley were smillen: for theharley was in Ihe car, and the nax was holled". This affected theproduction and export of Egypt's linen goods, for which it was famous, :lI\dupon which its economy dependedeO). That the upper levels of EgypliansocielY,and especially thc priestly class seldom wore any olher kind ofclothing('n) also sUl!geslstlml the plaguc represenled a direcl IltI:lck uponIhe polilical a1111rcligious est:lhlishmenl. As C. Aling, among olhers,ohserves. the seventh plague

("1 II perhaps is 01150no coincidence Ihal after the scvenlh plague the vern':];)"harden" nil IlIn~cr IIccnn in reference In Ihe "Imrdening" of PharOloh's heart; ef,bod 7.1.\.22: H.ILl5: 9,7.12.34.35: 10,1.211.27:11,9: 1.1.15: 14,4.5.8.17. .

12"1U. IIORI, "The Plaglles of Egypl", ZA IV 69 (1957) 86.(2" I'rov 7.1(" E7ek 27,7. See A. LIICAS,Alld,'n/ EII.I'pl;"" "'<lI,>';<I{.I""'{{IIi{If.t-

fr;,'.' (41h cd.. l.ond"'1 1'1(,2)14.1:C. F. AI.INO,1:~I!"'f'1"",{ II", llihl.. fro", F.",li,'..,1/"".., '" IIIIHI/I.c. ((irand R;'pids. MI I'IHII1II7; COFFMAN,1:'.""/",,, It7.

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Thc Significance of thc Seventh Plaglle 5.l7

may also he seen as an atlack on the gods of Egypt who wereconsidered responsible for that produclivity, primarily Re and othersolar dieties, and Osiris, a god of the dead who was intimatelyconnecled with grain (II).

Supporl for the imporlanee of the seventh plague also comes I'Will Ihefact that in a land where the threat of most of the mentioned plagues isalways a possibility, the seventh plague would have appeared miraculous'even to the Egyptians. As R. Sticglitz remarks:

In thc case of the ten plagues in Exodus, the Dible portrays Ihepharaoh and his magicians and physicians confronted first by someplagues Ihat were known previously - blood and frogs. Otherplagucs, however - hail and darkness - were unprecedented, andthus defied Egyptian underslanding and experience (32,.

Evcn if a periodic hail or thundershower could occur in Egypt (33), 3SsOllie suggest (14), thc seventh plagues is twice recorded as greater th;1IIany othcr slorm that had struck Egypl from its foundation to the present(9,IH.24)("5).

The plagne of hail is visihly important al~o in 9,23-26. Three pointssland out in Ihis section which suggest that the seventh plague held specialimportance. The first is the freljuencywith which we hear the word hail. Inthe entirc pericope, lhe word Imiloccurs'a total of fourteen times! No otherplague is mentioned as often. Moreover, the word" hail" resounds later inthe account of the next plague. locusts. where it appears three times inconnection with the crops available to the insects(10.5./2.15). .

We may take this a step further. Cassuto observes a deliberate andfrequent use of the number seven in the plagues accounl. After the Nilebecomes blood the narrator informs us: ".And seven days were fulfilledafter Yahweh had struck the Nile (7,25)". To Cassuto the number seven.. serves to emphasize the principnl word in the paragraph, namely the Nile,

(]I) EII.\'pl a",{I1I.. RiM.., 107. That Ihe plagues represent judgments against theEgyptian gods is hrought out further in bud 12,12: "I will meel out punishmenlsagainsl all (he gods of Egypl, I Yahweh ". See also Num 33,4; Jer 46,25; Wisdom ofSulumun 12.23-27; 16,1-14. As nuted hy SARNA, E.tfldll.t, 78. See also CUFFMAN,Exodll.f, 115-/16. for specific gods hypothesizcd sce W. FIELIIS, EXI'{o';II/CEXOI{U.f(Joplin, Mi~souri 1976) 2' I. Refercnees to Ihe Egyplian gods need not he explicit.See a.A. RfNIISRIIRli, "Targum Onqelus lu Exod. 10;5, 10:15, Nurnh. 22:5, 22:11",11,-1111.-1,12(19911) 15-17. .

('2) R. S IlUiU I7., "Ancient Records and Ihe Exodus Plagues ", BAR 13/6(19117)49.

("') Such as Ihc ahnormal noDding which slruck Egypl in late 1994. See, e.g.,.. 200 Egyplians Die When Dlazing Fuel Floods Thcir Homes ", Ntll' Yo,k Tim..."Novemocr 3, 1994 A, 1:1.

(.W) G. HORT noled Ihat the phcnomenon is extremely infrequent. .. ThePlagucs of Egypt (parI Two) ", ZA IV 70 (1958) 48. Sec also SARNA, Exodll.l, 78;"OUlI:, A C"'lImtllla,." 134.

(") A. COl.!', E:mdll.,: An Inl'//({"('Ii",, m,,{ c.""",..",a,..' (Downen Gmve, II.1'I7J) 911,nuled 11m. the magnitude or the sturm is Ihe issue .Ieemed 10 ne Ihe muslimportant aspecl of Ihc pasS:lgc.

(5JX Scoll B. Noegel

which oceurs I"ourtccn timcs in thc C<Hlrse 01" the paragraph Iwice timcsscven" U:.HldIlJ, I(JOI.The usc of the number sevcn is cxtensive.Thc swarm01"flies occurs in its pcricopc scvcn timcs('~). In thc account 01" thc scvcnthplaguc. thc word "land" ('I'T/"f) appcars scvcn limes, (hc sevcnth of whichoccurs alongside (,oshcn(-"). I!I thc same paragraph, "Iield" (.flidl'h)appears scven timcs, and as mcntioned ahovc, "hail" (I>,inid) I'CCIifSfourteen limes, twice times sevcn (-'"). According to Cassuto, the plaguesaccounl utilizes" a numerical schematism that (inds expression in thcmenlion of the namc of a plague seven limes (flies. locusts), or I"ourleentimcs (hail)" (EHld/tJ, US). lie adds:

'1hc tcndcncy towards numcrical pallcrns hascd on thc nunlhcr sevcnand on Ihe sexigesimal system is ohservable Ihroughont the section.In thc lirsl cyclc, Ihe names of Ihe plagucs occur 21 limes thrcctimes seven (blood 5 times, frogs II, gnats 5) and with the paragraph

pcrtaining to the crocodile (3 timcs), 24 twice times twelve; in thesecond cyclc 12 timcs (swarms of flies 7, pcst I, boils 4); in thc thirdcyclc 2,1 (hail 14, locllsts 7. darkncss .1); in all (,(J timcs. All this call

hardly bc fortuitous (lhid., 1.15).

Thc importallcc 01" Ihc scvclllh plagllc, lhcrdolc, is in kceping with Ihcsymholic use of the number seven within the narrative (-"').

The third point which stands out in lJ,23-2f1 is that in the ancient NcarEasl, and cspccially in Fgypt, lire and watcr (hail), wcre manircstations ofthe divine prcscnce ("'). Not only wcre there a numbcr of "Iicry" dcitics inEgypt, but the appearance of a god before a priest was accompanied- by

lire ("II). The Egyptians' reverence for water and its valuahle propcrtics'perhaps was due to their dependence on the annual inundation of the Nilewhich inlluenced many aspccls of Iheir lives. e.g., their calendar, properly

value, (i)od supply, etc. (42). The signilicance of the two clemcnts inEgyptian daily and religious life, therefore, suggests that there is a greatlitness and propriety in the Egyptians being punished by lire and water ("II).

To the Israelites, lire and water represented Yahwclj's wrath and

judgcmcnt (""'). Thunder and lightnings werc prcsent as signs of Yahwch's

,'.) CASSII10, £XO,[II..,I III.(") Ih;'[., 1211. .(\0) Ih;d., 122.(1°) See also G. R. DRI\TR, "Sacred Numl>ers and Round Figures", f",m;.lr

tllI,[ FIiI/il/ml'lIl: £ntl)'.. f"'.lrlll,'d '" S.I/. I/ookr ;1/ CI'I"I",,'im, or ,,;.. N;l/el;,'I"/Ii"IIdll.\' fed. F. F. BRlIlT: Edinhurgh 1'lli3) ('2-9U.

(") E. lIoRNuNn, COIICrpl;,,1I.f"I God ;n AI/drill £KYPI: 1"'1' 01/1' lilli/IIII' AfIlI/I"(Ithaca, NY 1982) 197. Babylonian liteniture also speaks of water and rire :,sclemcnts in the creative process: see,e.g" £111111111F:li.lII 1:4-5, %, I(,U (concerning thccreation of the world) 11:50,109;and Gi/!(tlllle.." XI: 11111-104(concerning Marduk).

(II) IIORNIJNn, Ih;d., 811, 197.(") B. WAHI'RSON, 71re GOth fIr Allc;rlll £!(ypl (New York 1984)29-)11.(") The writer's apparent familiarity with Egyptiao religion may imply that the

lext was redacted at a time when Israel had much contact with Egypt, e.g., duringIhc Solomonic period. lIowever, this is hcyond thc seope or this study.

(..o, See M. AS10IJR, 1/1'111'11".1"";1;('(/: An ",///I;c 0111/ Cllilltmi SIIII/)' ;11 11'1'.11S"IIIil;(" /"'pac'l 011 M)'callllen G,cCt'c (Leiden 19(,7) 212. .

( -, " (

The Signilieance of the Seventh Plague 539

prescnce on Sinai (bod IlJ,16). Elsewhere in the Bible, hail ligures inIheophanies and as signs of Yahweh's judgment (Josh \0,11; (with Iire)PsIR,I3; 141\,1\;2 Sam 22,R-16(4~); Job 31\,22; Hag 2,\7; Isa 28,2.17; 30,30).Moreol'er, not only were lire and waler present at the destruelion of Sodomalilt UonH1rrah. hul as the later sages note, the crealion of the world andthe greal deluge involved torrents mixed with lire ("'). Water and lire,(herefore. arc theologicallyimportant symbolsin the narrative. . .

Finally. Ihc Rahbis who were responsible for the annual reading cycleof the Torah als(1 seem 10 have recognized thc importance of the seventhplague. Note that X'X1 i,::"C ends :It Exod 9,35 and that};:J 11-:'" begins atExod 11,1. i.e" the rcading cycle places a division between the lirst sevenplagues and the remaining three (41).

The cumulativc el'idence demonstrates Ihat the plague of hail andthunderslorms, like Ihe death of Ihe lirst born, was understood aspossessing special signilicanee (4"). As with other IiSls of tcn, thc importanceof the plagne was cued hy placing it in the seventh position('O). Thisl'Onclusil1l1illustrates thai the convention here discusscd was not limited to

gencalogical lists and rosters of nations, but also was inl'orporaled into thcstructurc of the biblical narrative. Such an inlerpret:lIiondemonstrales oncemore how a holistic approach bears out the unity of the narrative ("').Regardless of what sources may underlie the account in the book ofExodus (~I). the linished prtiduct relleets an esscntial coherence wilh theinclusion of a dcliherate rhetorical device, namely. the doublc climax.

of/:anizcd in acconl:lI1ce with Ihe seven/ten literary conventi('n (~~),

Department of Ncar Eastern Studies3611RockefellerHallCornell UniversityIthaca, NY 141153U.S.A.

Scott B. NOEGEL

(") For the Samuel passage :15 :In ;Illusion to the seventh plague, see M.OARSI..., 71". N,.tl /I""k IIr Sa",lIrl: A UI","')' S/ll'~r '!( CII"'pa",';"c SI"'fllm'.f.Altalox;,'... tII,d /"trallt'h (I{:mml-(j:m 1985) 49-50.

('.) See, e.g., 1>.7.n Il3b; I>,StII,1>1081>;h.R/lS" 129: y.Sanh 10, 29h.(") For :, similar ulllierst;lndingor such lext divisions, see G. A. RENI>SDllRG,

71", n"'/'II'I;tII' "(G.'llr..;,, (Winona Lake, IN 1986) 25.«A) Nole thai seven and teo also appear in nmgieal formulae found in the Cairo

(leni7ah. See, e.g., Lit. S(,IInI'MAN, /1"/>"'\1'II/ltl """"a;,' IIIt'OIllal;"" 7;'.\I.t (,"'" II".('ai", (i"II;:al1: Sdeo,',[ 7i'.\/.. frrm, T")'/II,-Sd"'f""" /lox" I (Shellield 11JI/2)I to.\.

('O) The author of the hook of Revelation also appears to have recognized thedevice. Ol>serve how Ihe pla[!ue of xaA.u~a "hail" appears in connection wilh Ihesevenlh seal (Rev 8,7) and the seventh angel (Rev 16,21).

("') See similarly RENI>SIIIIRO,TIll' R,'dafl;'111I!r Gmr.f;.t.(") Since none of Ihe assumedsources0, E, 1')eontaiosall ten of the p';I[!ues

one might question whether a final redactor aceenled the seventh, Given thaI we donot possessany independent witnesses to these SOll/ces,I opt to examine the lext asit appears hefore us now and not as I>asedon hypothetical reconstructions.

(") For other numerical patterns in Ihe plagues narralive, see A. M, ('ARllIN,.., Who Knows Ten'!, The Structural and Symbolic Use of Numhers in the TeoI'lagnes: bod us 7:14-13:16", VIt;"', S.'",;lIa,)'QIIt",.'ri)'Rr.';e...45 (\991) 65-119.